Flocculation apparatus

Claim 1

A flocculation apparatus for the treatment of a fluid, said apparatus comprising: a. a conductor capable of carrying the fluid and a coagulant mixed therewith from an upstream inlet end at a first relatively high pressure head to a downstream outlet end at a second relatively low pressure head, the dimensions and configuration of said conductor being predetermined so that the rate of energy dissipation at any location throughout said conductor is such as to effect flocculation of particle aggregates to any given size in the minimum time; 1. said conductor being a pipe including a plurality of discrete sections, each section having a predetermined diameter and length, and a plurality of transition members of predetermined length connecting adjacent pipe sections, said discrete sections being of progressively larger diameters in a downstream direction; 2. said pipe being helically wound into a coil of predetermined diameter; b. a vertical, right circular cylindrical tank encompassing said coil; c. an inverted conical closure depending from the lower end of said tank and forming the bottom of said tank; d. a vertical, right circular cylindrical divider wall defining an interior compartment, said divider wall being coaxially disposed within said tank and forming an annular vertical passageway with the walls of said tank; 1. said pipe coil being supported on said tank and located within said annular passageway with the outlet end of said pipe discharging into said annular passageway, the bottom end of said annular passageway overlying said inverted conical bottom of said tank so that the heavier flocculation clusters in the treated fluid descend through said annular passageway into contact with said inverted conical bottom and are downwardly and inwardly deflected thereby toward the apex of said inverted conical bottom; and e. means for periodically draining the accumulated flocculation clusters from the apex area of said inverted conical bottom of said tank.